Looking After Sev
by Snozzle
Summary: Tonks takes it upon herself to look after an ill Snape. Romance. Rated for language.


**Disclaimer: **Not mine, don't own it, never owned it, blah. Blah. Blah.  
**AN: **This was written for a challenge, months (maybe a year) ago. And I forgot about it. It didn't exist. Bam, boom. And then, I sorted out my naff filing system and stumbled upon it and thought 'hey, this isn't half bad'. So, I finally finished it and I am now posting it. I haven't written for Harry Potter in months so this is a big step for me. Takes a deep breath Here we have it then...

* * *

He rolled over in bed, pressing his hand to his head in frustration. No doubt those stupid brats he had to teach had driven him to the point of insanity. Thank goodness it was a weekend.

He buried his face into the pillow, hoping that maybe the soft cotton would ease his headache. Apparently that plan was doomed from the start.

The familiar sound of students running past his chambers could be heard like a crashing to his ears, the shouts bouncing off of the walls. He groaned, wishing he had bothered to brew that potion for headaches.

Nymphadora Tonks seemed like a gentle wind compared the hurricane outside.

Thinking of her only caused him to groan more. She had decided she was going to check on him today, maybe drag him to Hogsmede or Diagon Alley for something to eat and to 'catch up on their news'. That in itself seemed enjoyable compared to the pain he felt.

It wasn't as though the idea of spending time with her was a horrible thought, he decided. It was more… she was bubbly, full with energy and he never really felt he had the time for that, especially today. Tiresome girl.

No. Not girl. Woman. She had grown up considerably since her days at Hogwarts, and as much as he hated to admit it, she'd become the kind of woman he could learn to love. Did love. She'd forced that truth out of him that was sure, though he hadn't meant to say anything of the sort to her.

He was terrified of commitment, being hurt, loosing her. He was terrified of all the things she embraced and accepted. He disliked her vibrant colours, she liked the contrast between them and his black robes. He saw things in black and white and she found the greys. He hated the past with a vengeance, and yet, she enjoyed bringing up and recalling old memories.

Yes, he decided. They were made for each other and she knew it. She probably knew it before he did; she seemed good at working out that kind of thing.

And that bought him to how he was feeling now. Grumpy, though his students wouldn't see much change there, and angry that he was lying in bed with no patience to move.

And then the banging started.

At first, he couldn't help but think his head had decided to pound even more so, but he soon adjusted to the noise and realised it was coming from his door. He glared angrily at it. "Go away!" he shouted in frustration, not caring who it was. It could be Dumbledore for all it mattered to him at that moment.

"Sev? Let me in… I know one of your ruddy kids is going to come back soon." _His _ruddy kids? He took a deep breath. He looked dreadful and he was still in those green satin pyjama trousers she'd forced him to wear. He was not going to let her believe he actually liked them.

He sat up; about to move to pick up his dressing gown when he saw the handle turn and the occupier of most of his thoughts strolled in, sporting blue hair tied into plaits. He quickly pulled the duvet up over his body. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Still in bed?" she asked curiously. "I thought you were the 'get up at six am' sort?"

"Nymphadora, this really isn't a good…"

"I told you about using my first name. You should know by now, seeing as we're… officially together… are you okay?" Tonks looked suddenly anxious as she walked towards him. She pressed the back of her fingers to his forehead and glanced at him anxiously. "You've got a bit of a temperature… do you have a potion somewhere for it?"

He watched for a few moments as she peered through his shelves, probably hunting for a potion to make him feel better. He rolled his eyes. "Nymph… Tonks don't fuss. You sound like Minerva when you do that. I'm quite capable of looking after myself."

"Yes, I know," she said, kneeling down onto the floor. "But sometimes, you've got to let people look after you too and I think I'm the best person to do it… don't you keep any health potions in this room?"

"They ran out." Tonks chewed her lip.

"Hm… guess we'll have to do this the Muggle way then." He watched as she walked into his bathroom, and closed his eyes impatiently as he heard something go crashing to the floor.

"Tonks, can't you just leave me alone?" Her head poked around the door, a sponge held firmly in one hand. She pouted.

"I can be quiet – I promise. Just, let me look after you… please?" He glared at her, and closed his eyes. She heard a small grunt and grinned, before walking back into the bathroom happily.

She remerged a few moments later carrying a sponge and bowl. "For the love of Dumbledore, _do not _drop that bowl!" Tonks pouted.

"I won't, I won't. Now sit back down, you're meant to be _relaxing. _Calming, relaxing thoughts Severus. Otherwise, you won't be well enough to teach on Monday."

"Oh, won't that be a shame…" he muttered angrily. Tonks frowned, before pressing the cool sponge to his forehead. Severus shivered slightly, before adjusting to its comforting temperature.

"There? That any better?" she asked, moving back some of his hair with her fingers. He said nothing, but he gently closed his eyes. Tonks smiled, pleased with her efforts. "Right, keep that there, I'm going to make you a potion!" she declared.

Severus sat up in alarm, the sponge falling off of his head and onto the floor. "Sev! You're meant to be _resting. _Is that word not in your over-large vocabulary or something?"

"Nymphadora, there is no way you are getting _anywhere _near my potion collection!"

"Calm down. I won't break anything. Now, under the cover before I do something painful to a part of your anatomy." Reluctantly, fearing Tonks have some potentially safe spell go awry, Severus lay back down onto the bed, and allowed Tonks to press the sponge back to its original place.

"Break anything, Nymphadora…" She smiled briefly.

"I won't. Now, what are the ingredients for a headache potion?" Severus looked thoughtful for a few moments, as he stopped the sponge falling off of his forehead.

"Wormwood, kettle weed… brandy bug legs and potatoes." Tonks turned to face him, eyebrows raised.

"Potatoes?" she echoed. "Since when do you put potatoes in a potion?"

"Since they became a very nutritious food. Apparently, it is good for the health to stew a potato with the other ingredients." Tonks shrugged, and started looking through his shelves again.

"Kettle weed… how much?"

"Just a pinch will do it." Tonks nodded, and dropped it into a cauldron she had found on the bottom shelf.

"Are there any particular stirring methods? Anything I should know about?"

"I don't believe so." Tonks nodded.

"Right… just going to the kitchens then… I promise I won't get caught. I feel like a second year all over again! But of course, in second year I had that crush on Hestia Jones and I'm straight again now, so maybe I _don't _feel like a second year. I feel like a third year!" And with that, she bounded out of Severus' chambers before he could react.

He stared at the door for a few moments, as if not believing anything she had just said. He slowly closed his eyes again, and drifted off to sleep.

-

"And you put a potato in, a potato out. In, out, you shake it all about. You do the Hogwarts-pokey and you turn around, that's what it's all about. Woo, the Hogwarts-pokey… Oh! You're awake." Severus stared at her blankly, and Tonks smiled back at him sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up… but it was so much fun to sing."

"Fantastic, Nymphadora. I have a murderous headache and your attempt at… singing… has made it so much better." Tonks slowly dropped the potato she was holding into the cauldron.

"Well, on a plus side," she began. "At least the potion is almost finished."

"I assure you, I will not be tasting anything you offer me. I'll probably sprout wings or something ridiculous like that." Tonks grunted, and began to stir the potion, humming softly.

"Are you sure this is it?" she asked curiously, looking into the murky green mixture with distaste.

"Try Healthy Potions… second book, second shelf." Tonks crawled over curiously, and found the book in question. She began flicking through it's pages with interest.

"They even have cures for eye twitches? Wow, I should give some to Mad Eye some time." She turned over the page and stared at a large, brownish blob in the middle of the page. It's eyes opened, and it smiled at her.

"Hello miss!" Tonks screeched, and through the book away, jumping around the room in surprise.

"It's a talking onion! Sev, your books have talking onions!"

"Nymphadora! I'm warning you… holy f-" He almost swore as she fell on top of him, muttering curse words under her breath in frustration.

"Bloody potato. It was just sitting there to trip me up," she muttered into his chest. "But, why does your book have talking onions? It's not natural Sev, it's not _normal_!" He rolled his eyes angrily, and pushed her off.

"Nymphadora, just go! I am sick of you! Just leave me in peace!" She stared at him for a few moments, before glancing at the potion.

"At least let me make you better with that potion…"

"I told you before. I am not accepting anything you give me."

"Why not?" she asked him, placing her hands on her hips.

"Habit," he replied calmly.

"Sentimental bastard…" she murmured, before picking up a spoon and carefully scooping up the medicine from the cauldron. "Open wide Sevvie…" she said, walking slowly towards him.

"Don't even _think _you're putting that _thing _anywhere near my mouth."

"Well, where else am I going to put it? I can't put it up your nose without drowning you or something." He stared at her incredulously as she took a seat on the side of the bed. "Now open wide Severus love…" He shook his head stubbornly.

She sighed. "Men. You're all so difficult. Take the potion or I'll get the talking onion to have a conversation with you. Then, you'll think I'm better in comparison and you'll have the bloody medicine!" Snape growled and she slowly moved the spoon towards his mouth. "Did I tell you about the announcement I had planned? I bought you red dress robes with all the frills and a pretty pink rose to wear. And I wrote you a letter too. To say how much you love me and how beautiful I am and…"

"Don't even think we're announcing any…" Tonks stuck the spoon sharply into his mouth. He spluttered slightly, reluctantly swallowing the bitter potion. Tonks grinned triumphantly.

"I'd never make you wear red," she told him, shuddering. "But…" She curled beside him, resting her head on his chest. "Are you ashamed of me…"

He started. Ashamed of her? Why would he be ashamed of _her_? It was her who should be ashamed of him. "It's alright I suppose… but we could never get married if you never told anyone. Am I really that bad? If it's the hair, I can change it… I can be different, you don't need to be ashamed of me," Tonks continued.

"I…I'm not ashamed of you Nymph…" She looked up at him, her eyes widening.

"You're not?"

"No. But, why are you so desperate to tell people? You could have anybody, you know you could." She nodded.

"Yeah, I know I could. I could have the man that used to live next-door who liked blondes with blue eyes and large breasts. I could have the man that sits opposite me in the Ministry who likes tall women with brown hair. I could have my best friend who likes women to be curvy and have long eyelashes. Or I could have the man that takes women just as they are and doesn't ask me to change my appearance, even if it's horrific in his eyes. Y'know what Sev? I could have _every single _man in this country and none of them would treat me like you do. So, why I am I desperate to tell people? It's because you accept me and I love you and it _makes sense. _And I want the world to see I have the only one who would ever treat me like I should be treat… Sev? Are you asleep?" She prodded him gently.

"No…"

"Oh good." She smiled. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"I'm hurting your head, aren't I?"

"Yes."

"Should I be quiet?"

"Yes."

"Is your name Severus?"

"Yes."

"Do you love me."

"…Yes."

"Can we tell people tomorrow?"

"Yes… shit." Tonks laughed affectionately, closing her eyes.

"I'll hold you to that Sev. Let's sleep," she said, picking up her wand and lowering the lights. "We'll tell people when you're better."

She looked up at him and listened to his soft snoring. "Sleep well love," she whispered, closing her eyes again.

He opened his eyes and glanced at her.

Tiresome woman.

_His _tiresome woman.

And with that, he began to fall asleep.


End file.
